What it is confused with
Resin and dyed imitations. Genuine tiger's eye shows a band of light that glides across the surface as the stone turns.
Golden brown with a shifting band of light
Tiger's Eye crystal meaning
Tiger's Eye is quartz replacing fibrous crocidolite, golden brown with a shifting band of light, rated 6.5–7 on the Mohs scale. Traditionally, it is linked to nerve, practical courage and seeing a situation clearly — attributed, not demonstrated.
- Mohs hardness
- 6.5–7 scratches window glass
- Crystal system
- Trigonal
- Main sources today
- South Africa also Australia, Namibia
Properties
Composition
Quartz replacing fibrous crocidolite
Hardness (Mohs)
6.5–7
Crystal system
Trigonal
Color
Golden brown with a shifting band of light
Mined in
South Africa, Australia, Namibia, India
Worth knowing
The moving band is chatoyancy — light reflecting off parallel fibers. The same effect in a cabochon-cut chrysoberyl is called cat's eye.
History
Crystal lore says Roman soldiers carried it into battle as a protective charm, though no ancient source records it.
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Buying
Buying Tiger's Eye: fakes, value and treatments
What decides the price
A sharp, bright band on golden brown. Red tiger's eye is usually heat-treated, and blue "hawk's eye" is the unoxidised form.
Where it is used
Beads, cabochons and carvings.
A less familiar fact
It forms when quartz grows in place of fibrous crocidolite, and most comes from South Africa.
Practical
Caring for Tiger's Eye
How to clean it
Warm soapy water. Durable.
How to tell it is real
Dyed versions in red and blue are common and undisclosed. Natural tigers eye is golden brown; the blue variety is properly hawks eye and occurs naturally, but bright dyed colors do not.
How hard is Tiger's Eye?
Tiger’s eye is quartz that grew in place of crocidolite fibers, and it wears like quartz: soapy water is all it needs to keep its band of light bright.
Tiger's Eye, at 6.5–7, is harder than 19 of the other 42 stones here and softer than 15, with 8 level with it.
Traditional associations
Tiger's Eye is traditionally linked to nerve, practical courage and seeing a situation clearly. Chakra in crystal practice: Solar Plexus, Root. Element: Fire.
Questions about Tiger's Eye
What is Tiger's Eye made of?
Quartz replacing fibrous crocidolite, crystallizing in the trigonal system.
Where does Tiger's Eye come from?
South Africa, Australia, Namibia, India.
Can Tiger's Eye be worn every day?
Yes, and it is easy to live with: at 6.5–7 on the Mohs scale, it is durable and needs only soapy water.
Cite this page
AstroHot. “Tiger's Eye Crystal Meaning: Properties and Hardness.” Accessed October 29, 2026. https://astrohot.com/crystals/gemstones/tigers-eye/
For Wikipedia
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